Asia

[Visited: October 2022]

After a late-evening arrival in Riyadh, I woke up quite early the next day. I did some quick shopping around the corner, and was on my way through the capital city. It turns out to be a spread out city, and it takes me more than half an hour to drive to the centre. Fortunately, the main roads are like highways and there is little traffic. I drive past Masmak fortress, and even manage to find a parking spot in the shade of a small mosque. While I walk past the rounded watchtowers, I hear the call for prayer. There is no one near the old mud walls of the fortress and its crenellated watchtowers, but when I reach the square at the western side, I see a multitude of men hurrying to the nearby Imam Turki bin Abdullah Grand Mosque. When I approach the entrance of Masmak fortress, I already know what I am going to see: it is closed. After all, it is a Friday. Fortunately, I see that it should be open at 4pm.
After driving to the western part of Riyadh, where I discover old city walls but also closed-off parts of the old quarter of Diriyah that I had so much wanted to see, I make sure to be back to Masmak fortress in the afternoon. My parking spot next to the old mosque is free, and when I reach the square in front of Masmak, I immediately realise it has a totallly different feel than a few hours before. It is bustling with life now. Kids are playing and biking, families walk around, both men and women, and I see foreign visitors as well. I walk through the massive palmtree door I have seen in the morning, and start my exploration of this fort. Where it had seemed like a beautiful structure of the past, through the museum inside it, I learn about its history and its significance for Saudi Arabia.
Built in 1865, Masmak fortress was used by the Rasheed ruler until King Abdulaziz of the Saud house conquered it, and Riyadh, in 1902. This led to the unification of Saudi Arabia. In 1995. the fortress was restored and converted into a museum. In the traditional rooms, I see artefacts from the 19th and early 20th century. There are maps, and black-and-white photos giving an idea of what the fortress looked like when it was still a defensive structure. There are explanations about the battle of Riyadh, as well as the taking of Masmak fortress in 1902. All signboards speak in admiration of King Abdulaziz, the founder of the country. I also see a well, several old wooden doors, and realise that the fortress with its thick walls and watchtowers was able to offer safe shelter for many during times of siege. After this step back in time, I am catapulted to the present day as soon as I walk the streets of Riyadh again. On my way north, I get stuck in a traffic jam, a stark contrast with the empty streets of that same morning.

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Masmak fortress (Saudi Arabia)

Masmak fortress > Saudi Arabia > Asia

[Visited: October 2022]

Around the World in 80 Clicks